The Beginner’s Guide to Photoshop

Welcome to the easiest way to learn Photoshop. Through quick lessons and real-world examples, you’ll learn how to improve your photos, help people look their very best, and share your ideas with the world. We’ve spent the last 10 years perfecting Photoshop education, so that you can master Photoshop.

Simple Compositing

Learn to combine multiple photos so you can have that picture perfect smile.

10+ years. 150+ tutorials. It all starts here.

LEARN SIMPLE COMPOSITING

ORIGINAL

Photoshop Basics

Photoshop is huge. With so many options and applications, it’s tough to figure out where to start. That’s where we come in. We show you the basics that will help you tackle some of the most common photo problems. No nonsense teaching and real-world examples.

Improve Your Photos

Some photos are crooked. Some are too dark. Some are too bright. Some just need a little more flavor. You will learn how to to take any image and make a bunch of small improvements, from straightening a horizon and changing composition, to improving exposure and color correction.

Step-by-Step Training

We’re there with you, every step of the way. We show you the most powerful tools that will make the most immediate impact on your images. Then we use those tools as we walk you through over 40 examples, covering every step of the editing process.

CREATE PHOTO EFFECTS (DOUBLE EXPOSURE)

ORIGINAL

Photoshop for Beginners

This tutorial is for the true beginner. Never opened Photoshop before? You’re in the right place. This course is designed to take you from ordinary citizen to Photoshop superhero.

The Best Way to Learn

We’ve been teaching Photoshop online for over 10 years. Using helpful feedback from students like you, we’ve put together the most clear and in-depth beginner’s guide possible. Are you ready? Let’s do this.

Getting Started in Photoshop

Everyone needs to start somewhere. Follow along as we show you how to setup Photoshop and make sense of the workspace. From opening your first images, to making sense of all of the windows and menus, we’ve got your back.

LEARN SIMPLE CUT-OUTS

ORIGINAL

Basic Photo Editing

As photographers, we know that photos don’t always turn out the way we planned. Fortunately, there’s Photoshop. We show you how to fix exposure, correct colors, remove distractions, and help people look their absolute best.

Basic Retouching

Retouching is everywhere. From corporate headshots to your favorite magazine cover, retouching is an important skill that can help you in any type of photography. Learn how to remove minor blemishes, clean up stray hairs, add more shape and definition, and sharpen like a pro.

Basic Compositing

Combining multiple photos together is some of the most fun you can have in Photoshop. It’s also a helpful skill that can get you out of a jam. Learn the compositing skills to make an eye-catching double exposure, replace a dull sky with a more details one, and swap two faces to get the perfect expression.

IncludedPhotoshop Actions & PSD Files

Sharpening & Retouching are easier than ever with our exclusive Photoshop Actions. Plus you can follow along with Aaron with the included PSDs!

CORRECT COMPOSITION & LIGHTING

ORIGINAL

Getting Around Photoshop

If you’ve never used it before, opening Photoshop for the first time is sort of like opening a dictionary for an unfamiliar language. You know it makes sense, but it’s impossible to figure out where to start. We’ve made it easier than ever to learn Photoshop by taking you through the essentials until you’re comfortable and confident.

The Best Tools

There are a LOT of tools in Photoshop. We show you the BEST tools in Photoshop. You’ll learn the tools and techniques that will get you editing right away. Learn how to use the most powerful tools in a variety of ways, saving you time and energy.

Layers & Masks

Layers and Masks are at the heart of understanding Photoshop. We start off showing you exactly how they work and how you can use them to make your edits smoother than ever. Learn how to work non-destructively so you can always get back to your original images or undo any changes you’ve made.

ENHANCE COLOR & LIGHT

ORIGINAL

LEARN COLOR CORRECTION

ORIGINAL

Adjustment Layers

Make an image brighter, darker, and add or change colors with Adjustment Layers in Photoshop! These are the best way to make edits to a photo. Why? Because you can always go back and change, edit, or remove them without permanently affecting your original image.

Selections

Digital photos are made up of millions of tiny dots of color called pixels. So how do you choose to edit some of them and not others? Selections make it possible. Follow along as we show you some of the most powerful selection tools in Photoshop so you can make precision adjustments and clean cutouts.

Remove Distractions

From pimples to light poles, we show you the quickest ways to remove objects and distractions from any photo. We also show you valuable tips to help make sure that your subject is the center of attention.

AFTER

BEFORE

Smooth Skin Tones

Learn how to remove skin redness and minor blemishes with natural-looking results!

Learn something new. Create something new. Start something new.

REMOVE ANYTHING FROM A PHOTO

ORIGINAL

Plan Your Edits

Whether you’re writing, painting, or saving money for your kid’s college tuition, it helps to have a plan. Our Photoshop training starts with teaching you how to plan your edits and stay organized. Your time is valuable and so is the work that you do–we show you how to get the most out of both.

Save & Protect Your Work

Photoshopping pictures is the fun part. Saving your work is the important part. We break down the best file types to use when saving, how to protect your original images so you can go back and make changes anytime, and how to share your photos with the world.

Choose Your Path

PHLEARN isn’t just a single tutorial. PHLEARN is a journey to unlocking your creative and professional potential. We’re sure this is the best tutorial for learning the essentials of Adobe Photoshop. And once you’re done here, you can move on to any other of the 150+ tutorials in our PRO library. Start your journey, choose your path.

CREATE A PHOTO COLLAGE

ORIGINAL

CHANGE COLORS & ADD GRAPHICS

ORIGINAL

We Love Teaching Photoshop

This is the tutorial we were born to make. If you’ve been waiting to learn Photoshop, there’s never been a better time to jump in. Learn the basics of how to Photoshop any photo and then take your skills to the next level with one of our advanced retouching or compositing tutorials.

Learn the Essentials

Welcome to the easiest beginner’s Photoshop tutorial ever made. You won’t just learn how to use the software, we show you how it works. Learn key editing steps that work for any image, on any computer (we’re Mac and PC friendly), and that you can put to use right away. We even include a companion PDF to help get you started faster!

Text & Design

We don’t just show you how to make your photos look amazing. We show you how to transform them into banners, flyers, posters, and designs that will help you communicate your ideas to the world.

Included Companion PDF – Getting Started in Photoshop

Style & Color

This is the fun part. Learn how to make your photos unique so they stand out from the crowd. Color your photos better than any app filter. Add stunning special effects that will leave people wanting more.

Photoshop Actions

Once you learn the skills, use Actions to work faster than ever. We include two Photoshop Actions that will speed up your workflow and give you instant professional results.

Photoshop PSDs

We want you to follow along and make each of the examples your own. But it’s also nice to see how a pro works in Photoshop. We include several complete Photoshop PSDs so you can see how everything works, firsthand.

REMOVE SKIN BLEMISHES

ORIGINAL

SHARPEN PHOTOS

ORIGINAL

Remove Distractions

From pimples to light poles, we show you the quickest ways to remove objects and distractions from any photo. We also show you valuable tips to help make sure that your subject is the center of attention.

Save Your Work

Saving your work is one of the most important things to master in Photoshop. We show you the best formats for making sure you can always go back and make changes to an edit and the best formats for sharing your images on the web.

Adobe Photoshop CC 2019

We’re sure that this is the best place for you to learn Photoshop online. We planned this tutorial with the beginner in mind. You will learn the latest tools and techniques and the fastest way to get the job done. Best of all, we’re beside you for the ride, from open to export.

Class Instructor

Aaron Nace

PHLEARN Founder – Class Instructor

Aaron Nace is a photographer, Photoshop artist, and the founder of PHLEARN. He is the #1 Photoshop instructor in the world with millions of YouTube subscribers.

Reviews

I’m a beginner and I found it helpful. When I started learning photoshop, most of the tutorials I saw were hard to follow. This one made it easy.

kirandanielrai

Rated 5 out of 5

August 1, 2019

This is a great tutorial, and I’ve found Aaron so good to learn from so far! The tutorial covers a good range of topics, and builds on knowledge at a great pace. This is my first week of signing up for Phlearn Pro and it’s already worth it. I’m looking forward to checking out more tutorials. Personally, I found speeding up the videos to 2x to be a good listening speed for me, so it’s great to have those options there.

marc.wills

Rated 5 out of 5

July 21, 2019

Wow, must say i read a lot of the reviews & thought these are most likely put there by PHlearn.. Just like to say i’m joining in.. So here goes…. Fantastic tutor, explains everything, i’m not losing it at all listening to hours of tutorials, i am a beginner & you’ve made this even more enjoyable. Such great value i’m really pleased… Anyway thats that, i’d recommend this without hesitation…So glad i subcribed, i’ve learnt a lot in a few hours..

nishinu

Rated 5 out of 5

July 2, 2019

This is THE BEST class on Ps! Aaron is an amazing teacher! The lessons build on each other in the perfect way, you can actually feel the difference in your ability and boost in confidence level in a short amount of time (as opposed to other classes where everything is thrown at you in way that leaves you dizzy and unsure). Highly recommend! THANK YOU PHLEARN, I’m actually excited to start my own projects now!

slopez72.gd

Rated 5 out of 5

June 23, 2019

Aaron, you are amazing! The Beginner’s Guide to Photoshop taught me so much more about the software than I ever learned when I was in college for graphic design! I wish I had found a tutorial like this back then. The explanations are detailed and leaves no room for confusion. I am so glad I found you and your tutorials. Keep up the great work, my friend, it’s really appreciated.

ozartadv

Rated 5 out of 5

June 19, 2019

Thanks so much, Aaron, Photoshop and Lightroom have come alive and I’m just finishing the beginner’s guides. I’m determined to soak up every skill you teach and I walk away so excited, (and giggling) after every episode! I chose you over a bulk learning site due to your fun demeanour and program focus and I am so very glad I did. You rock! 🙂

Russ Step

Rated 5 out of 5

June 8, 2019

The material is absolutely awesome and the presentation is continuously attention grabbing.

halimbenbahlouli

Rated 5 out of 5

June 6, 2019

and voila!! Everything becomes clear!

v.valenzuela

Rated 5 out of 5

May 29, 2019

Aaron is an amazing instructor and the Beginners Guide has been extremely helpful. It’s easy to follow and Aaron’s personality shines through, making a topic that could be very dry and lengthy into an aspiring series that encourages me to continue learning.

jan-eigil

Rated 5 out of 5

May 20, 2019

Beeing new to PS this first introduction to PS helped me a lot. I will probably go back to refresh some of the thing as I progress to the more advanced stuff. Thanks.

fan1a

Rated 5 out of 5

May 20, 2019

Honestly, best instructor ever so helpful and detailed thank you so much for your help

rachaelmayphotography

Rated 5 out of 5

May 17, 2019

boop, boop, boop, boop….here’s my review. 😉 This is fantastic, I’ve been using photoshop part time for 8 years and This series is teaching me SO MANY AWESOME things. It’s well organized so I can skip through things I’m confident with. Worth the year’s membership!

Gilberto Borges

Rated 5 out of 5

May 10, 2019

Great for a quick review of concepts. I will also indicate for some friends who want to start using Photoshop. As a pre-sales matrerial for your professional courses, I think it’s also very good!

nadia_moore

Rated 5 out of 5

May 1, 2019

I love love your tutorials. Aaron you are just fun to listen to. My only issue is rather technical. When I try to pause or go backwards, the website freezes. I wish I didn’t have to deal with that . It is a little frustrating. Other than that, i LOOOOOVE IT.

Aaron Nace – Class Instructor

Thanks for your comment, we are looking to the issue.

gilesstepney

Rated 5 out of 5

April 26, 2019

This was just what I needed…. I’ve had Photoshop for a while, watched endless YouTube videos, but nothing really sunk in. This guide has changed that. Everything is starting to make sense and I now have the foundation for me to build on. Aaron’s teaching style makes it fun and super easy to follow. Nice Work!!!!

Justin Arblaster

Rated 5 out of 5

April 25, 2019

Totally amazing Aaron, thank you. The only problem is that is no file for What are layers? for PC

lukman14762hapsaro

Rated 5 out of 5

April 21, 2019

This guide is an absolute must for a beginner like me. I mean in Phlearn there are a lot of specialised guides so it’s a little confusing which technique to use in which occasion. This guide makes clear those, and thank you, Aaron, for directing to a more in-depth guide for each specialised techniques in this tutorial.

cole.mark1

Rated 5 out of 5

April 16, 2019

Okay … SORRY. Aron, please forgive me I am so unworthy. Forgive me for my last (and first) comment re continuous improvement and their should be two versions of the training; one for PC and one for Mac users because of the slight nuances in the way PS behaves which each. I went off w-a-y too early with that comment and had I listen for a few more hours I would see on occasion you would show a few things here and there as a sneak peek and you would explain them later in a relevant section. My bad. Now I am loving the tutorials as I knew I would. And, recovering from lack of faith, I actually saw your You Tube training about a eighteen months, or two years ago and signed up there and then fearing I would never be able to find them again and have paid the subscription ever since and only starting recently as I knew your tutorials would be exactly what I needed to take my photography to a whole new level once I found the free time. And here I am … as happy as starting to understand the behemoth called PS … which is way too much of a program to tackle alone. 🙂

cole.mark1

Rated 4 out of 5

April 15, 2019

I am a beginner and I am sure this subscription, in the long run, is going to be fantastic and worth the money in helping me achieve my Photoshop goals. Having said that I would like to provide some feedback in the interest of continual improvement. What is a little frustrating is I am a PC user, not a Mac user and already I see there are differences in the way the software behaves on both systems. (I have upgraded to be on the same version as demonstrated.) For example, using the first image, Aaron creates a new file and opens an image. He then drags and drops the image of the runner at the race track on to the new file which has a white back ground. A great example of how you could create a flyer for example. The problem for me is on a PC, PS opens the new file and opens the existing image into two separate tabs and it does not allow you drag and drop between the two tabs to achieve what Aaron easily demonstrated in PS on the Mac … this makes me wonder when using PHLEARN how many more times will I be frustrated in this way and the impact this will have on my learning. Perhaps their course needs to be made available in both a PC version and a Mac version to avoid these frustrations to create a far more satisfying experience. (Or alternatively, acknowledge the difference in how PS operates slightly differently on the two platforms and shows how to achieve the same result on PC & Mac version of PS.) I will soldier on and hopefully, this situation will not create too many gaps in my learning experience.

mbsearle

Rated 5 out of 5

April 9, 2019

Thank you so much! I have been avoiding using Photoshop for years because I just didn’t know how to get started in a considered and incremental way. It always seemed complex and counter-intuitive to me. This tutorial has de-mystified PS and given me the tools and confidence to explore on my own. Some of the lessons are quite difficult for a beginner, but with repetition and lots of hands-on practise I am really getting there. It really helps to use the lessons as jumping off points for practice on your own images – I found that it was in this transfer to my own work that the instruction gained salience and relevance. The series of lessons is very cleverly sequenced to build on skills and develop understanding. Outstanding!

seise_art

Rated 5 out of 5

April 5, 2019

Nice course but it seems odd to look how PS works when you used it so many years. In the set up Photoshop part you talked about Full screen mode, I don’t use mac but in Windows when you use “Full screen mode with out menu bar” and move your cursor either to the left or right side of the screen you see your tool or layers.

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